The seventh and final part of "thing" (2013-14)

I realised with a shock a few months ago that I've been obsessively documenting my self image for just over twenty years now. I wanted to move on from this but it took me a while to work out how. I previously wrote about this intention here and here.

Basically I decided to make a piece of work that will contain just about every single decent image of me taken or created in just over two decades, all in chronological order, whether made by me of by others, including photographs, graphics, art, illustration, whatever. There will be loads of previously unposted work in there, including ungraded, unedited, rejected shots from previous shoots, as well as 'flickbooks' from previously unposted cam sessions, images of me out of 'character' and various appearances in print, moving and online media and other people's art. All music used in "thing" is at least partly composed by me.

I guess, for me it's a form of aversion therapy. I'm trying to overload on images of myself so I can wipe my slate clean and make a new, more creative start next year. Once I'm done no one (including me) will ever want to see another photo or video or picture of me again and I will feel free to move my creative practice onto other things.

The end of "Thing"

I have a lot more to say about "thing", my motivation(s), the "year of the selfie" and why I'm stopping taking photos of myself, but I will post those thoughts after this final part of "thing".

But this is the final and by far the longest part, combning two busy years full of change and upset. It's actually painful for me to watch this one as things I held dear were falling apart or falling away from me all the while.

I was originally going to do this as two parts but I really couldn't be bothered - also the long, new piece of experimental music by my band fits perfectly, in length and mood.

Now that this is done, I do feel a great sense of relief and unburdening.

I feel no real desire to photograph myself any more and when I do it wil be in different ways.

You'll see.

WARNING. this segment is very NSFW. Lots of sexual imagery and full frontal nudity / adult cam sessions. Please avoid if you are underage or don't want to have my cock shoved in your face willy nilly.